Patients in the New Forest are waiting longer for ambulances than the average in the region, as uncertainty continues over the future of Hythe’s ambulance station.
Plans have been proposed to close the station, which has served the community for more than 60 years, prompting fears from Councillor Malcolm Wade that 999 response times could worsen further.
New FOI data shows the New Forest already lags behind the rest of the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) area.
Category 1 emergencies typically take 10–12 minutes for paramedics to arrive in the New Forest, compared with 8–9 minutes across the SCAS region.
For Category 2 calls, including suspected strokes and heart attacks, the difference rises to between five and 15 minutes.
Less urgent Category 3 and 4 responses can take 30 minutes to more than an hour longer than regional averages.
Councillor Wade says the figures do not reflect what is happening in Hythe, Dibden and the Waterside specifically and has concerns that 'lumping together' wait times in the New Forest isn't an accurate representation.
He said: “They haven’t got information just for Hythe and the Waterside. It’s all mixed into the wider New Forest. My concern is that if they shut Hythe station when response times are already slower here, it will only get worse.”
Councillor Wade warns the situation could deteriorate further when major roadworks begin on the A326 from 2029 — the main route in and out of the area.
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He said: “Minutes count for strokes and heart attacks. If ambulances have to come all the way down the A326 from elsewhere, any delay could be critical.”
While SCAS maintains most crews are out on the road rather than based in stations, Councillor Wade says residents frequently report seeing ambulances parked at Hythe during the day.
He fears losing that presence would place further pressure on a largely older population.
David Eltringham, chief executive officer of SCAS, previously described Hythe ambulance station as a dated building that was “not fit for purpose in the long-term”.
He stated: “Response times are driven by the location of crews around our entire footprint, rather than the distribution of ambulance stations.”
SCAS has been contacted for comment.
